JP2001031897A - Ink jet ink for egg shell - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ink jet ink which can form safe images on the surfaces of egg shells in good productivity. SOLUTION: This ink jet ink used for printing egg shells comprises water, a swelling agent, an edible color which forms a water-insoluble salt together with the calcium ions of the egg shells to adhere to the surfaces of the egg shells, and a water-soluble resin which forms a three-dimensional gel structure on the surfaces of the egg shells together with the calcium ions of the egg shells. Therein, the water-soluble resin is one or more kinds of resins selected from pectin, gellant gum and carrageenan. The edible color is one or more kinds of colors selected from iron or copper chlorophyll salt, cochineal color, annatto color, lac color, Food Red No. 3, Food Red No. 104, and Food Red No. 105.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ink jet ink for eggshell. More particularly, the present invention relates to an ink jet ink for printing an image on an eggshell surface.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ink jet printer has been applied to appropriately print on an article having irregularities, exhibiting a flexible surface, or having an irregular shape. In addition to being capable of high-speed printing, the inkjet printer is capable of printing in a non-contact state with articles,
In recent years, it has attracted attention as a method of printing on fruits and eggs,
In particular, there is an increasing demand for printing information such as expiration date on the surface of each egg to provide consumers with information related to safety and health, thereby preventing the occurrence of food poisoning.

The ink jet printers can be broadly classified into two types, a continuous type and a drop-on-demand type. Inks used in this type of printer are different depending on the type and performance of the apparatus. Although different, the following characteristics are required. (1) The printed image has a fast drying time and no bleeding. (2) The printed image is excellent in water resistance and scratch resistance. (3) Even if the printer is left for a long time with the ink filled, the ink medium does not clog the ink due to the evaporation of the ink medium and has excellent stability.

There have been many proposals for inks for ink jet printers for printing on the eggshell, for example, water, alcoholic solvents, shellac neutralized with morpholine, sodium iron chlorophyllin or sodium copper chlorophyllin. (Japanese Patent Publication No. 60-31871). However, the ink dries very slowly on the eggshell surface, and the printed image tends to bleed. Therefore,
A possible method is to increase the amount of alcohol-based solvent added to speed up drying.However, the image tends to bleed, and ink penetrates due to the penetrating action of alcohol and dyes up to the film on the inner surface of the shell. There is. Further, morpholine is not approved as a food additive, and it is not preferable for food hygiene if it remains on the printed surface of the eggshell.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The ink jet ink of the present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems. That is, even if it is printed on an eggshell, it dries very quickly without bleeding, and the ink can be used. It is an ink with excellent printing performance and safety that does not penetrate into the inside of the egg.Furthermore, the printed image has excellent water resistance, and the dye does not elute even when wet with water. An object of the present invention is to provide an eggshell ink for eggshell which is excellent in safety and does not dissolve and cause boiling water to be colored.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an ink jet ink for printing on the surface of an eggshell, wherein the ink forms a water-insoluble salt with water, a humectant, and calcium ions of the eggshell to form a water-insoluble salt. An ink-jet ink for eggshell, which contains at least an edible dye fixed on the eggshell and a water-soluble resin which forms a three-dimensional gel structure on the eggshell surface by calcium ions of the eggshell is required. Further, the water-soluble resin is one or two or more resins selected from pectin, juran gum, carrageenan, and the food color is iron or copper chlorophyllin metal salt, cochineal color, annatto color, lac color, food color 3 No., Edible Red No. 104,
One or more dyes selected from Food Red No. 105, 0.01 to 2.0% by weight of the water-soluble resin
It is required that the edible pigment be contained in an amount of 0.1 to 10% by weight.

The edible dye is a dye having a carboxyl group as a functional group in a molecule selected from a synthetic dye or a natural dye specified by the Food Sanitation Law, and is dissolved and stably present in the ink. When the dried ink is dried, the calcium ion in the eggshell reacts with the dye,
The pigment becomes insoluble in water and sticks to the eggshell. Therefore,
The printed image is provided with sufficient water resistance, and even when the eggs are boiled, the coloring water does not elute in the boiling water. Specific food colors include food red No. 3 (erythrosine), food red No. 104 (phloxine), food red No. 105 (rose bengal), copper or iron chlorophyllin salts such as iron chlorophyllin sodium and copper chlorophyllin sodium, and cochineal dye. , Annatto dyes and lac dyes. The food color is 0.1 to 10% by weight in the ink composition.
Can be used in the range.

The water-soluble resin is a resin having a property of forming a three-dimensional gel structure by calcium ions. Therefore, calcium ions in the eggshell are eluted in the image immediately after printing, and quickly react with the water-soluble resin to form a three-dimensional gel film on the eggshell surface. This action can prevent bleeding.
Further, since the image forms a three-dimensional gel film, the ink does not penetrate to the inner surface of the shell and thus does not stain the film inside the shell. Specific water-soluble resins include pectin, juran gum, carrageenan and the like. The water-soluble resin can be used in a range of 0.01 to 2% by weight in the ink composition. In addition, 3
In addition to the water-soluble resin forming the two-dimensional gel structure, an edible resin can be used in combination with the egg shell as needed, in order to enhance the adhesion of the image to the eggshell. As the edible resin, shellac, methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose,
Examples include polyvinylpyrrolidone, gum arabic, ester gum and the like.

Also, an appropriate amount of a wetting agent can be blended so that the nozzle at the tip of the ink jet does not become clogged by drying. Specific examples include glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbitol, and other edible solvents, and they can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0010] In addition, an edible preservative, an edible antioxidant and the like can be added as required. Examples of the preservative include sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, sodium dehydroacetate, ethyl paraoxybenzoate, sodium propionate, and the like.As the antioxidant, sodium erysorbate, sodium ascorbate, disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate. And the like. In addition, a pH adjuster such as sodium carbonate, a surfactant such as sucrose ester, polyglycerin fatty acid ester, and sorbitan fatty acid ester, and a silicone antifoaming agent can be used as necessary.

The physical properties of the eggshell ink of the present invention vary depending on the kind of the ink jet printer, but the viscosity at 20 ° C. is in the range of 1 to 10 mPa · s, and the surface tension is 25 mN / m or more. Preferably, the electric conductivity is adjusted in the range of 0.1 to 20 mS / cm.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The eggshell ink of the present invention is prepared by adding water, a wetting agent, an edible dye, a water-soluble resin, and various additives as necessary, mixing, stirring, and, if necessary, heating. Obtained by The eggshell inkjet ink prepared as described above is filled in a continuous type or drop-on-demand type inkjet printer and put to practical use.

[0013]

EXAMPLES Examples are shown below, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. In addition, the compounding number in an Example shows a weight part. Example 1 sodium iron chlorophyllin 1.5 parts pectin 0.5 parts propylene glycol 10.0 parts potassium sorbate 0.1 part sodium carbonate 0.1 part ion-exchanged water 87.8 parts Total 100.0 parts After mixing and heating and stirring to dissolve uniformly,
The mixture was filtered through a 1 μm membrane filter to prepare an ink jet ink for eggshell.

Example 2 Sodium copper chlorophyllin 1.5 parts Deurane gum 0.1 part Glycerin 10.0 parts Potassium sorbate 0.1 part Sodium carbonate 0.1 part Ion exchange water 88.2 parts Total 100.0 parts After mixing and heating and stirring to dissolve uniformly,
The mixture was filtered through a 1 μm membrane filter to prepare an ink jet ink for eggshell.

Example 3 Cochineal dye 4.0 parts Pectin 0.5 parts Propylene glycol 10.0 parts Sodium benzoate 0.1 parts Deionized water 85.4 parts Total 100.0 parts The above ingredients were mixed, After heating and stirring to dissolve uniformly,
The mixture was filtered through a 1 μm membrane filter to prepare an ink jet ink for eggshell.

Example 4 Anato dye 2.0 parts Carrageenan 0.2 parts Propylene glycol 10.0 parts Potassium sorbate 0.1 parts Sodium ascorbate 0.2 parts Shellac aqueous solution 10.0 parts (active ingredient 25%・ Neutralized with sodium carbonate) Ion-exchanged water 77.5 parts Total 100.0 parts
The mixture was filtered through a 1 μm membrane filter to prepare an ink jet ink for eggshell.

Comparative Example 1 Food Blue No. 1 1.5 parts Propylene glycol 10.0 parts Potassium sorbate 0.1 part Sodium carbonate 0.1 part Deionized water 88.3 parts Total 100.0 parts Then, an ink was prepared in the same manner as in the example.

Comparative Example 2 Sodium copper chlorophyllin 0.8 part Shellac aqueous solution 20.0 parts (active ingredient 25%, neutralized with morpholine) Ethanol 10.0 parts Ion-exchanged water 69.2 parts Total 100.0 parts Were mixed to prepare an ink in the same manner as in the example.

Drying test, printing test, boiling test, and penetrating test After filling the inks prepared in Examples and Comparative Examples into an ink jet printer, printing on an egg and drying the image (drying test), bleeding of the image (Printing test), tests on the dissolution of ink by boiling (boiling test), and internal permeability (penetration test) were performed. Table 1 shows the test results and the physical properties of the ink.

[0020]

[Table 1]

In the drying test in the table, the time from immediately after printing until the image is dried without spreading the image by touch is described. Evaluations regarding test items of the printing test, the boiling test, and the penetration test are shown below. Printing Test The state of the image of the eggshell surface after drying was visually observed. ：: No bleeding is seen in the image. ×: The image blurs. Boiling test The printed eggs were boiled in boiling water for 15 minutes, and the density of the image after boiling was visually checked. ：: Little change from before boiling. Δ: The density is slightly lowered and the image is blurred. ×: No image remains on the eggshell surface. Penetration test The eggshell after boiling was peeled, and it was observed whether the inside of the shell and the inner membrane were stained. ：: almost no change. ×: Dyed.

[0022]

According to the present invention, the water-soluble resin contained in the ink forms a three-dimensional gel structure with the calcium ions of the eggshell to form a clear image without bleeding, and the image is easily dried. Therefore, it is excellent in productivity. In addition, since the ink does not penetrate into the shell, it is excellent in safety, and the applied dye forms a water-insoluble salt with the calcium ion of the eggshell and is fixed, so that it has sufficient water resistance and scratch resistance. In addition, it is possible to provide an eggshell ink jet ink having excellent safety.

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Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An ink jet ink for printing on the surface of an eggshell, wherein the ink is water, a humectant, an edible dye which forms a water-insoluble salt with calcium ions of the eggshell and adheres to the surface of the eggshell, And a water-soluble resin which forms a three-dimensional gel structure on the eggshell surface by calcium ions of the above. 2. The ink-jet ink for eggshell according to claim 1, wherein the water-soluble resin is one or more resins selected from pectin, juran gum, and carrageenan. 3. The food color may be iron or copper chlorophyllin metal salt, cochineal color, annatto color, lac color,
2. The eggshell ink jet ink according to claim 1, which is one or more dyes selected from Food Red No. 3, Food Red No. 104 and Food Red No. 105. 4. The eggshell according to claim 1, comprising 0.01 to 2.0% by weight of the water-soluble resin and 0.1 to 10% by weight of the food coloring. For inkjet ink.